Harmonized System

8.‑ For the purposes of heading 85.34 “printed circuits” are circuits obtained by forming on an insulating base, by any printing process (for example, embossing, plating‑up, etching) or by the “film circuit” technique, conductor elements, contacts or other printed components (for example, inductances, resistors, capacitors) alone or interconnected according to a pre‑established pattern, other than elements which can produce, rectify, modulate or amplify an electrical signal (for example, semiconductor elements).

The expression “printed circuits” does not cover circuits combined with elements other than those obtained during the printing process, nor does it cover individual, discrete resistors, capacitors or inductances. Printed circuits may, however, be fitted with non‑printed connecting elements.

Thin‑ or thick‑film circuits comprising passive and active elements obtained during the same technological process are to be classified in heading 85.42.

9.‑ For the purpose of heading 85.36, “connectors for optical fibres, optical fibre bundles or cables” means connectors that simply mechanically align optical fibres end to end in a digital line system. They perform no other function, such as the amplification, regeneration or modification of a signal.

10.‑ Heading 85.37 does not include cordless infrared devices for the remote control of television receivers or other electrical equipment (heading 85.43).

11.‑ For the purposes of heading 85.39, the expression “light-emitting diode (LED) light sources” covers :

(a) “Light-emitting diode (LED) modules” which are electrical light sources based on light-emitting diodes (LED) arranged in electrical circuits and containing further elements like electrical, mechanical, thermal or optical elements. They also contain discrete active elements, discrete passive elements, or articles of heading 85.36 or 85.42 for the purposes of providing power supply or power control. Lightemitting diode (LED) modules do not have a cap designed to allow easy installation or replacement in a luminaire and ensure mechanical and electrical contact.

(b) “Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps” which are electrical light sources containing one or more LED modules containing further elements like electrical, mechanical, thermal or optical elements. The distinction between light-emitting diode (LED) modules and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps is that lamps have a cap designed to allow easy installation or replacement in a luminaire and ensure mechanical and electrical contact.

12.‑  For the purposes of headings 85.41 and 85.42 :

  (a)(i) “Semiconductor devices” are semiconductor devices the operation of which depends on variations in resistivity on the application of an electric field or semiconductor-based transducers.

Semiconductor devices may also include assembly of plural elements, whether or not equipped with active and passive device ancillary functions.

“Semiconductor-based transducers” are, for the purposes of this definition, semiconductorbased sensors, semiconductorbased actuators, semiconductorbased resonators and semiconductor-based oscillators, which are types of discrete semiconductor-based devices, which perform an intrinsic function, which are able to convert any kind of physical or chemical phenomena or an action into an electrical signal or an electrical signal into any type of physical phenomenon or an action.

All the elements in semiconductorbased transducers are indivisibly combined, and may also include necessary materials indivisibly attached, that enable their construction or function.

The following expressions mean :

(1) “Semiconductor-based” means built or manufactured on a semiconductor substrate or made of semiconductor materials, manufactured by semiconductor technology, in which the semiconductor substrate or material plays a critical and unreplaceable role of transducer function and performance, and the operation of which is based on semiconductor properties including physical, electrical, chemical and optical properties.

(2) “Physical or chemical phenomena” relate to phenomena, such as pressure, acoustic waves, acceleration, vibration, movement, orientation, strain, magnetic field strength, electric field strength, light, radioactivity, humidity, flow, chemicals concentration, etc.

(3) “Semiconductor-based sensor” is a type of semiconductor device, which consists of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of detecting physical or chemical quantities and converting these into electric signals caused by resulting variations in electric properties or displacement of a mechanical structure.

(4) “Semiconductor-based actuator” is a type of semiconductor device, which consists of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of converting electric signals into physical movement.

(5) “Semiconductor-based resonator” is a type of semiconductor device, which consists of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures in response to an external input.

(6) “Semiconductor-based oscillator” is a type of semiconductor device, which consists of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures.

        (ii) “Light-emitting diodes (LED)” are semiconductor devices based on semiconductor materials which convert electrical energy into visible, infra-red or ultra-violet rays, whether or not electrically connected among each other and whether or not combined with protective diodes. Light-emitting diodes (LED) of heading 85.41 do not incorporate elements for the purposes of providing power supply or power control;

(b) “Electronic integrated circuits” are :

    (i) Monolithic integrated circuits in which the circuit elements (diodes, transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductances, etc.) are created in the mass (essentially) and on the surface of a semiconductor or compound semiconductor material (for example, doped silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon germanium, indium phosphide) and are inseparably associated;

    (ii) Hybrid integrated circuits in which passive elements (resistors, capacitors, inductances, etc.), obtained by thin- or thick-film technology, and active elements (diodes, transistors, monolithic integrated circuits, etc.), obtained by semiconductor technology, are combined to all intents and purposes indivisibly, by interconnections or interconnecting cables, on a single insulating substrate (glass, ceramic, etc.). These circuits may also include discrete components;

    (iii) Multichip integrated circuits consisting of two or more interconnected monolithic integrated circuits combined to all intents and purposes indivisibly, whether or not on one or more insulating substrates, with or without leadframes, but with no other active or passive circuit elements.

         (iv) Multi-component integrated circuits (MCOs) : a combination of one or more monolithic, hybrid, or multi-chip integrated circuits with at least one of the following components : silicon-based sensors, actuators, oscillators, resonators or combinations thereof, or components performing the functions of articles classifiable under heading 85.32, 85.33, 85.41, or inductors classifiable under heading 85.04, formed to all intents and purposes indivisibly into a single body like an integrated circuit, as a component of a kind used for assembly onto a printed circuit board (PCB) or other carrier, through the connecting of pins, leads, balls, lands, bumps, or pads.

For the purpose of this definition :

1. “Components” may be discrete, manufactured independently then assembled onto the rest of the MCO, or integrated into other components.

2. “Silicon based” means built on a silicon substrate, or made of silicon materials, or manufactured onto integrated circuit die.

3. (a) “Silicon based sensors” consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of detecting physical or chemical phenomena and transducing these into electric signals, caused by resulting variations in electric properties or displacement of a mechanical structure. “Physical or chemical phenomena” relates to real world phenomena, such as pressure, acoustic waves, acceleration, vibration, movement, orientation, strain, magnetic field strength, electric field strength, light, radioactivity, humidity, flow, chemicals concentration, etc.

(b) “Silicon based actuators” consist of microelectronic and mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of converting electrical signals into physical movement.

(c) “Silicon based resonators” are components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures in response to an external input.

(d) “Silicon based oscillators” are active components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures.

For the classification of the articles defined in this Note, headings 85.41 and 85.42 shall take precedenceover any other heading in the Nomenclature, except in the case of heading 85.23, which might cover them by reference to, in particular, their function.

Subheading Notes.

1.‑  Subheading 8525.81 covers only high-speed television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders having one or more of the following characteristics :
- writing speed exceeding 0.5 mm per microsecond;
- time resolution 50 nanoseconds or less;
- frame rate exceeding 225,000 frames per second.

2.‑  In respect of subheading 8525.82, radiationhardened or radiation-tolerant television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders are designed or shielded to enable operation in a high-radiation environment. These cameras are designed to withstand a total radiation dose of at least 50 × 103 Gy(silicon) (5 × 106 RAD (silicon)), without operational degradation.

3.‑  Subheading 8525.83 covers night vision television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders which use a photocathode to convert available light to electrons, which can be amplified and converted to yield a visible image. This subheading excludes thermal imaging cameras (generally subheading 8525.89).

4.‑  Subheading 8527.12 covers only cassette-players with built-in amplifier, without built-in loudspeaker, capable of operating without an external source of electric power and the dimensions of which do not exceed 170 mm x 100 mm x 45 mm.

5.‑  For the purposes of subheadings 8549.11 to 8549.19, “spent primary cells, spent primary batteries and spent electric accumulators” are those which are neither usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons, nor capable of being recharged.